Around eight weeks earlier, spurred by New Year’s resolutions, millions of Americans joined the gym.  The gym regulars know that they must put up with a few weeks of crowded conditions, and then things will return to normal.  For most of us, using the gym is a habit that that won’t stick.  Why is that, and what can be done to make more achievable our good intentions of a fitter self?  Here are five reasons why gym membership doesn’t work for everyone:

• - Some people join for the wrong reason; they are hoping to exercise their way to weight loss.  This is a very hard path to follow.  Studies show exercise produces a very slow rate of weight loss.  If weight loss is among your goals, start by changing the way that you eat.
• - When weight loss is needed, your body takes extra pounding from exercise.  Many people find working out easier (and less likely to cause injury) once they’ve lost some weight. 
• - Exercise needs to be frequent.  We are well advised to get physical activity most days, and in fact, are told not to sit too long in front of a TV or computer; regular movement is important for heart health.  For many of us, a gym does not fit with that frequency requirement.
• - Time can be a barrier.  You’d probably have to drive to the gym, get changed when you get there, work out, shower, get dressed, and drive home.  It could well take more time getting to and from your workout routine than you spend on the routine itself.
• - And finally, there’s the cost.  Nutrisystem employees use the company gym for free, but for most folks, belonging to a gym is an incremental expense that can be difficult to cover in these times.

If the gym is your thing, that’s great; stick with it!  But if not, what’s the alternative?  One simple, low-cost option is to increase your activities of daily living.  My Daily 3 on the Nutrisystem website suggests activities for both the gym set and those preferring the daily living approach.  Activities that require brisk walking for at least 10 minutes – walking the dog, walking the last half mile to and from work, mowing the grass, etc. – totaling 30 minutes a day, can be good ways to hit the minimum activity requirement.  Even if you belong to a gym, increasing your activities of daily living can be a path to better health.

Which brings me back to my bicycle….I have a 20-25 minute ride to work.  My commute by car would take 15 minutes, so I’m getting 40-50 minutes of exercise at an “incremental cost” of 10-20 min of my normal day – pretty good deal!  My goal is to bike to work at least 60 times this year.  It’s not all the exercise I need, but it will be one big contributor to hitting my physical activity goal.  It also beats complaining about the price of gas!

Which makes one wonder…what explains the two extremes, when both countries have populations that are well educated, with a relatively high standard of living?  The explanation does not appear to be related to genes, since Japanese who move to the US tend to gain weight.  What can we learn from the traditional Japanese way of eating that could help us Americans control our weight and live healthier lives?

I am not an expert on Japanese cuisine, but here are some of my observations:

Beautiful food presentation.  Japanese dining rituals emphasize serving food in an attractive, artistic manner.  Try to create a festive atmosphere by using your good china and silverware more often. Don’t eat your NS entrée out of the container; instead place it on a pretty plate.  Eat meals and snacks sitting down at a table- not in front of the TV or computer and not in the car.

Small portions.  Serving sizes in Japanese restaurants or at home tend to be much smaller than in US restaurants or what we have become accustomed to serving ourselves.  Studies show that when we are served more, we tend to eat more, regardless of appetite.  Serving food in small dishes makes it appear more abundant, so place your entrée on a salad plate rather than a dinner plate and use small bowls for cereal and soup.  Narrow, tall glasses look fuller as opposed to squat, wide-rimmed ones when filled with the same amount of liquid. 

Low-fat food preparation.  With the exception of tempura, you don’t find many deep fried foods on a Japanese menu. Low fat foods are prevalent, such as sushi and sashimi, steamed rice with no butter or oil, broth-based soups rather than cream-based.  Steaming or a quick stir-fry as opposed to other cooking techniques helps to preserve nutrients. Select brown rice instead of white for more fiber and reduce soy sauce to control sodium intake.

Less red meat, more soy and vegetables.  Soy foods such as tofu and edamame are common protein sources; fish is also plentiful in the Japanese diet.  When red meat is served, it’s a modest portion, generally not a huge steak.  Select a wide variety of colorful vegetables as the Japanese do, since each distinctive pigment offers a unique health benefit and also creates visual appeal.   For beverages, try replacing sodas with green tea; it provides valuable polyphenols and a few studies indicate that it may contribute to fat loss.

Leisurely meals.  Traditionally, the Japanese family would dine together for an unhurried dinner, although with longer working hours now, that pattern is changing.  Whenever possible, avoid “fast food” meals.  A recent study, as reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, related a faster speed of eating to higher BMI.  So, take small bites and chew foods thoroughly to slow down the time it takes to finish a meal; this will give your brain time to get the message that your stomach is full before you overeat.  You might try eating with chopsticks; if you are like me, they will definitely slow your pace.

Why is screening important?  Of the roughly 26 million Americans with diabetes, about 7 million do not know that they have the disease.  The longer that their disease goes undetected and unmanaged, the more likely becomes the development of serious complications of the disease, such as blindness, kidney failure, and amputations.   Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, and the leading non-injury cause of amputations.

I heard a tragic story on the radio last week, about a man age 53 living in a nursing home and on renal dialysis.  It was no surprise to hear that he had diabetes.  He may well have been one of the many patients who have been diagnosed in the emergency room.  The cost to this individual — and to society as a whole — of the absence of early detection and treatment will be high. 

ADA is launching an updated version of its risk test for Alert Day 2012; the new test goes live on March 27^th.  The new test better recognizes the impact of being overweight.  The optimal BMI to avoid diabetes is about 22.  Many studies, including at least one published in an ADA journal¹, have shown a steep rise in risk in both men and women with increasing BMI.  The same article showed that risk of premature death from diabetes was strongly influenced by excess body weight.   It’s important that people know that they can prevent or better manage type 2 diabetes through modest improvements in body weight and physical activity.  

A study sponsored by Nutrisystem was recently presented at the annual conference of the Obesity Society, the leading research organization for the study of obesity and its health consequences.  The subjects all had type 2 diabetes and most were taking multiple medications for the condition, plus additional drugs for other obesity-related risks such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  The treatment group followed the Nutrisystem D program for 6 months.  These subjects experienced significant improvements in weight, BMI, waist circumference, control of blood glucose as measured by hemoglobin A1c, total plasma cholesterol, and blood pressure.  While all these measures were improving, their personal physicians were reducing their prescriptions for diabetes medications. Losing weight and eating a better diet reduced the need for diabetes drugs in about 30% of these subjects.  Weight loss truly matters for diabetes, and it can be done. 

So take the risk test², get screened, and act on what you learn.  Your genes may have put you at risk of diabetes, and your current lifestyle may be a contributing factor, but you have the power to take charge of your health.

1. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/6/1562.full
2. visit www.diabetes.org or www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation

• 3400mg of sodium each day (~50% more than the recommended max daily intake)
• 22.2 teaspoons of added sugars per day (~ 4X more than the recommended max daily intake)
• Less than 2 servings of fruit and vegetables each day

Now, before you utter another “tsk” or laud over your exemplary ability to maintain healthy eating habits in the midst of such a nutritionally depraved environment – you should know, that despite the above statistics, and the fact that about 68% of the US population is overweight or obese, 90% of Americans would tell you that they eat a healthy diet. Doesn’t seem to add up does it? Don’t worry, I have a few reasonable explanations:

• Cookies don’t count when you eat them standing up
• That bag of potato chips you ate watching American Idol was mostly filled with air
• Weekends are party time,  calories don’t count
• Ice cream is only eaten once in a while – same with fast food, soda, french fries, chicken fingers, candy bars, apple pie, pizza, etc.
• Pickles are vegetables, right?

The truth is, it’s easy to have selective memory when it comes to eating. In fact, a number of studies have shown that study participants underestimated their daily calorie intake by about 20%. If you’re following a 2000 calorie/day diet, that’s 400 overlooked calories each day, or 1 mysterious pound of weight gain every 9 days. Use National Nutrition Month as a chance to wipe the slate clean and take a good hard look at your eating habits. Pick one weekday and one weekend day and be meticulous about tracking your food intake on these days (you can use our online food diary in our community section). Compare what you find to recommendations outlined in the USDA’s MyPlate healthy food guide: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/myplan.aspx

If you find you could use a little help, remember all of the Nutrisystem programs have been designed to comply with national nutrition guidelines and provide 50% less sodium, 60% less fat, and 72% less sugar than the average American diet.

REFERENCES:

1. USDA. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm
2. CDC. Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, and Extreme Obesity Among Adults: United States, Trends 1976–1980 Through 2007–2008
3. Consumer Reports Health. Are We Fooling Ourselves? January 2011. http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/diet-nutrition/diets-dieting/healthy-diet/overview/index.htm
4. CDC. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survery. ntake of Calories and Selected Nutrients for the United States Population, 1999-2000. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad334.pdf
5.  Hill et al. The validity of self-reported energy intake as determined using the doubly

labelled water techniqueBritish Journal of Nutrition (2001), 85, 415±430

“Imagine that you’ve reached the end of your weight loss journey.  You’ve worked hard on losing weight and achieved the weight loss goal that you set for yourself at the start of your effort.  You couldn’t be prouder of yourself.  Stepping on the scale has gone from a dreaded chore to something that you look forward to.  So go ahead.  Step on the scale.  Look down.  What does it say?”

We’ll call this your dream weight.  Chances are, your dream weight in that scenario was somewhere in what doctors consider the ideal weight range.  When you think about the time and effort it will take to get to that weight, you may decide that it is perfectly reasonable to expect that you will get there.  On the other hand, you may conclude that your dream weight is probably out of reach.  If that’s the case, do not lose hope.  Remember, that was your dream weight.  Now, ask yourself how much weight you realistically expect to lose.  Let’s call this your target weight.  This is what you’re actively working toward.

Weight loss experts will tell you that a realistic goal when you’re trying to lose weight (without having bariatric surgery) is about a 10% reduction in your starting weight.  (You can quickly estimate that by taking the first two digits of your weight.)  Is your target weight further away than that 10% figure?  For most people in weight loss programs, it is. 

Does that mean that you can’t reach your target?  Absolutely not.  Ambitious is not the same as impossible.  It is important to keep in mind, though, that weight loss success is not something that should be measured in all-or-nothing terms.   Let’s say your target weight is 30 lb away and that you end up losing 25 of those 30 lb.  Was your weight loss effort a failure because you did not reach what you considered to be a realistic target weight?

I hope you answered no to that question.

But if you are measuring your success in all-or-nothing terms, and you believe that even a 29.5 lb loss would be a failure if you had your sights set on 30 lb, let me encourage you to revisit the reasons why you wanted to lose weight.  The desire to see a smaller number on the scale was probably just one of many reasons that you wanted to lose weight – and maybe not even one of the most important.  Maybe you wanted to fit better in your clothes, improve your health, feel less winded when going up the stairs, reduce the pain in your ankles and knees after a long walk, get off some medications, etc.  Whatever your reasons were, ask yourself whether you saw improvement in those areas – not perfection, but improvement.  I would argue that your weight loss effort was a success if you got what you wanted from your weight loss, even if you didn’t lose as much weight as you expected to lose.  

A common mistake for dieters is focusing too narrowly on what the scale says and feeling defeated if the numbers don’t cooperate with their expectations.  Take a broader view of success.  This will not only help you appreciate your accomplishments, but also may help to keep you motivated enough to persevere toward your ultimate goals.

Fort Washington, PA—February 22, 2012—Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI), the leading home delivery weight loss program, is proud to announce the launch of its new and significantly enhanced community site (http://online.nutrisystem.com). With about one-third of U.S. adults suffering from obesity according to the Center for Disease Control, Nutrisystem decided to change the way people interact with and gain access to information on its community site. By not only improving the content and tools but also opening up the site in ways it has never done before, the Company hopes to provide a useful resource to the millions of people in this country who are looking for ways to lose weight and get healthy. Previously Nutrisystem’s community was only available to dieters who registered for its site or who were on a Nutrisystem® program.

The new Nutrisystem community is structured with three levels of access:

• - Guests: For the first time, Nutrisystem is opening up its community to allow the public to take advantage of its nutrition and diet content, with no requirement that guests register.
• - Members: People who are willing to register on the site, will gain access to more content, tools and the ability to interact with other members of the community.
• - VIP Members: Dieters already on a Nutrisystem program – known as Nutrisystem VIP Members – are provided with a robust suite of tools, information and interaction in the new community.

“Obesity and the range of medical issues associated with it has become a national health emergency,” noted Christy Monaghan, Vice President of eCommerce Product Management and User Experience at Nutrisystem. “We recognize that often times the journey to a healthy weight begins at the keyboard as dieters search for information, solutions and support from people they can relate to. That’s why we’ve re-designed our community site in a way that makes it not only more accessible, but also a more useful tool to help people begin their journey back to health. Statistics show that losing just 5 percent of one’s weight can have a clinically significant impact on a person’s health. We hope dieters will come to our site for the information, tools and community that will help them get healthy.”

Nutrisystem believes the combination of its proven weight loss principles and community involvement can be a powerful tool for those who want to lose weight.  Studies have shown that people who tackle weight loss with others – friends, family members, even dieters they’ve never met  – have greater success than those who try to go it alone. According to a survey conducted by National Business Research Institute, dieters following a Nutrisystem program reported losing 43% more weight than people dieting on their own.*  Simple steps like tracking your diet online have also shown to improve how dieters fare while shedding pounds.

“I have dieted in secret before and it never worked,” said Vicki Baughman, who lost 70 pounds on Nutrisystem and is an avid community member. “On the Nutrisystem community, I set goals, track them, learn about nutrition and activity levels and most importantly share my story. Behind every pound I’ve lost there is the unbelievable cheering squad of other Nutrisystem members who opened up their hearts and have shared this journey with me.”

Nutrisystem drew on feedback and polling conducted within its community to re-design the site and add new features. Enhancements include the new My Program section which gives the dieter specific information about what they need to do each day to stay on the program in an easy to understand encapsulated view; greater social media integration to give dieters the opportunity to engage with an even broader group of friends through Facebook, Twitter and Google+; expanded commenting throughout the site; and re-organized content to make sure that helpful information surfaces fast and is easy to find.

Nutrisystem said that further or additional enhancements to the site would continue in the coming months as new features are added.

* 2009 National Business Research Institute survey, funded by Nutrisystem. Nutrisystem customers lost an average of 30 pounds verses self-dieters who lost 20 pounds.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is the number one home delivery weight-loss company. Nutrisystem^® products are sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, with convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the Nutrisystem^® D^® program, specifically designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes. The Nutrisystem program is based on 40 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offers a variety of great tasting, satisfying, good carbohydrate meals that are designed to be heart healthy. The program was named the “Least Expensive Home Delivery Program” by CBS Money Watch in January 2011. The program has no membership fees and provides weight management support and counseling by trained weight-loss coaches and online and mobile weight management tools free of charge. Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes™, as well as to help in increasing awareness of the correlation between weight loss and improvements in diabetes control. For more information or to become a customer, visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-435-4074. For the healthcare professional, please visit http://www.nutrisystem.com/hcp. Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter @nutrisystem and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nutrisystem.

FORT WASHINGTON, PA (February 1, 2012) – Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI), the leading home delivery weight loss program, is ushering in its 40^th anniversary year with a celebratory new promotion as well as a look back at four decades of helping people lose weight and get healthy.  Within the past decade alone, customers have lost over an estimated 71 million pounds on the Nutrisystem ® program – equivalent to the weight of over two Lucas Oil Stadiums (made of 16,000 tons of steel), home of Super Bowl XLVI.    

To commemorate Nutrisystem’s 40^th anniversary, the Company is promoting 40% savings on all of its 28-day auto delivery programs. This limited time promotion, starting today, Wednesday, February 1, enables customers to save approximately 40% off the monthly cost of the Nutrisystem SUCCESS™ program, the Company’s best program to date. 

“This Company was founded on the belief that there has to be an easier way for people to lose weight,” says Joe Redling, Nutrisystem’s Chairman and CEO. “Nutrisystem’s innovative approach – to combine low-calorie prepared meals based on the science of the Low Glycemic Index (GI) with counseling and medical supervision – has withstood the test of time and is responsible for millions of pounds being lost on the Nutrisystem program. As we usher in our 40^th anniversary year, we thought the most fitting celebration was one that recognized the people who have made Nutrisystem what it is today – our customers – and give them a great savings offer.”

 SUCCESS™: The Best Nutrisystem® Program Ever

 Last month, Nutrisystem announced the launch of SUCCESS, its most substantial reformulation in years. The Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ approach is designed to help take the weight off and keep it off through frequent, portion-controlled, balanced nutrition and low Glycemic Index eating. 

 The SUCCESS program offers the Company’s largest ever assortment of fresh-frozen meals including new signature artisanal Chef’s Table^TM dinner entrees, developed by Nutrisystem’s Celebrity Chef Culinary Council using revolutionary advanced steamer technology; new chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee flavored high quality protein shakes used in conjunction with Nutrisystem® entrees to help improve satiety and to create an optimized nutrition profile; the introduction of a personalized “My Daily 3^TM” physical activity program; and increased personalization and flexibility through transition and maintenance plans that help consumers manage their weight on their own. 

 Pioneering Nutritional Science

 Nutrisystem’s heritage is one of pioneering efforts to change the way people not only lose weight, but also how they think about losing weight. Through its 40-year history the Company has focused on the science behind nutrition to help people lose weight, eat healthy, fight cravings, stay full longer and maintain weight loss. One of the Company’s early employees and key developer was Dr. Jay Satz, a microbiologist dedicated to innovative thinking and breakthrough approaches in nutritional and dietary science. It was Dr. Satz who pioneered reduced calorie, portion-controlled, pantry ready meals and later introduced the Glycemic Index measurement to the Nutrisystem® menu.  Currently, Dr. Satz is the Senior Scientific Advisor to Nutrisystem.

 That tradition of using science to solve the complex issue of weight loss and management continues today at Nutrisystem under the leadership of Dr. Bruce Daggy, Senior Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Science Officer. The Company believes that a combination of satisfying nutrition plus behavior and attitudinal changes is the key to long-term success for its customers.

 “From early childhood, people learn by doing. As three-year olds, we weren’t reading books or attending counseling sessions, yet we learned a great deal,” says Daggy.” Nutrisystem uses this learn-by-doing approach to eliminate the guesswork around the quality, quantity and frequency of food intake.  ‘Now I get it’ is something we hear regularly from our customers.  While losing weight and improving their health, they are learning habits that will also help them succeed over the long-term.”

 “As our country faces a growing obesity epidemic, Nutrisystem is committed more than ever to helping people reclaim their lives and health,” adds Redling. “We are very proud of what we have accomplished over the last 40 years and are looking forward to helping America shed millions of more pounds in the years to come.”

 Since its founding in 1971, Nutrisystem has grown and changed as the diet and fitness category has evolved. Its most recent history begins when the Company moved its sales and customer interaction online. Below is a look at some of the key consumer highlights from this period:  

 Key Highlights

1999: Nutrisystem.com is launched
2001: NutriSystem begins selling its program through QVC
2003: A new food line, NutriSystem® Nourish®, is introduced with Low Glycemic Index eating
2006: New Men’s program soars with Dan Marino as first celebrity spokesperson
2007: Introduction of Nutrisystem® Silver® with Don Shula as spokesperson
2008: Introduction of Nutrisystem® Advanced® with improved nutritional science
2008: Marie Osmond loses 50 pounds on Nutrisystem and becomes a brand evangelist
2009: Publication of the first clinical trial of Nutrisystem in managing Type 2 diabetes, and the launch of Nutrisystem® D®, aimed at people living with Type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes
2009: Nutrisystem® Select® (fresh-frozen meals) and Costco gift cards become available
2009: Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes™, as a National Promotional Sponsor, to help in increasing awareness of the correlation between weight loss and improvements in diabetes control
2010: Nutrisystem launches its website for healthcare professionals, www.nutrisystem.com/hcp
2011: Celebrity Chefs Council formed and new fresh-frozen Chef’s Table Collection™ dinner line debuts
2011: Nutrisystem named “Least Expensive Home Delivery Program” by CBS Money Watch
2011: A clinical trial confirming the benefits of Nutrisystem in managing Type 2 diabetes, including patients on virtually all diabetes medications, was presented at the annual conference of the Obesity Society
2011: Launch of SUCCESS, Janet Jackson introduced as Brand Ambassador for the 2012 diet season
2011: My Daily 3™ activity component added to program for the 2012 diet season
2012: Terry Bradshaw loses 32 pounds and champions Men’s program
2012:  Nutrisystem tallies more than 71 million pounds lost over the last decade on Nutrisystem 

Nutrisystem customers lost more than 71 million pounds over the past decade, which is equivalent to approximately:

• - 281,746 NFL Players (average NFL Player = 252 pounds)
• - 10,142,857 Vince Lombardi Trophies (this Super Bowl award weighs in at seven pounds)
• - 408 Boeing 737′s (most popular commercial plane) at maximum take-off capacity weight of 174,200 pounds
• - Expressed as sticks of butter laid end-to-end, would nearly circle the globe at the equator 

To celebrate Nutrisystem’s 40^th anniversary and to receive 40% off the Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ program, please visit www.nutrisystem.com/success4u or call 1-888-841-2572.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is the number one home delivery weight-loss company. Nutrisystem^® products are sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, with convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the Nutrisystem^® D^® program, specifically designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes. The Nutrisystem^® program is based on 40 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offers a variety of great tasting, satisfying, good carbohydrate meals that are designed to be heart healthy. The program was named the “Least Expensive Home Delivery Program” by CBS Money Watch in January 2011. The program has no membership fees and provides weight management support and counseling by trained weight-loss coaches and online and mobile weight management tools free of charge. Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes™, as well as to help in increasing awareness of the correlation between weight loss and improvements in diabetes control. For more information or to become a customer, visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-435-4074. For the healthcare professional, please visit http://www.nutrisystem.com/hcp . Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter @nutrisystem and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nutrisystem.

###

FORT WASHINGTON, PA (January 25, 2012) – Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI), the leading home delivery weight loss program is proud to announce and applaud success story, Crystal Evans, for losing 123 pounds on the Nutrisystem ®program  and for being selected to grace the cover of PEOPLE Magazine’s annual iconic “Half Their Size” Issue earlier this month. In addition, Ms. Evans, the 28 year old mother of two from Washington State, also appeared on “The Today Show,” to share her weight loss success story in hope of inspiring others to get healthy.

Evans, who is 5’1’’, shares with PEOPLE how pregnancy complications with both her children caused her severe weight gain peaking at 240 pounds, which ultimately led to self-doubt and a fear of going out in public. This wasn’t the life she wanted for herself or for her family and knew that she had to make a change.

“I tried everything I knew after my daughter’s birth to lose the weight I gained, but nothing seemed to work until I found Nutrisystem , “explains Evans. “Nutrisystem helped me become the mother I always wanted to be. I am more confident now than ever before not just because I love how I look and feel, but also because I am proud of what I have accomplished.”

 “The success of our members, such as Crystal, inspire us at Nutrisystem every day and is living proof that losing weight can have a positive impact on a very personal basis and inspire others to make a change, “said Joe Redling, Chairman and CEO of Nutrisystem. “ We are so proud of Crystal for representing Nutrisystem in PEOPLE’s “Half Their Size” Issue and want to applaud her for her bravery in sharing her inspirational story and photos with the world.”

“I was honored and excited to be featured on the cover and appear on national TV. The best part was having people come up to me after they’d seen the story to let me know how my journey inspired them to finally make healthy changes,” added Crystal who plans to continue on with Nutrisystem’s maintenance program.

 In addition to Crystal being featured in PEOPLE Magazine and on “The Today Show”, Nutrisystem also celebrated the New Year with the introduction of SUCCESS, the Company’s most complete and comprehensive weight loss program to date and its most substantial reformulation in years. Longtime Nutrisystem spokespeople Dan Marino and Marie Osmond join superstar Janet Jackson and football great Terry Bradshaw as the Company’s all-star Brand Ambassador line-up for the launch of Nutrisystem SUCCESS.

The Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ approach is designed to help take the weight off and keep it off through frequent, portion-controlled, balanced nutrition and low Glycemic Index eating.  The SUCCESS program offers the Company’s largest ever assortment of signature artisanal fresh-frozen meals including new Chef’s Table^TM dinner entrees, developed by Nutrisystem’s Celebrity Chef Culinary Council using revolutionary advanced steamer technology; new chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee advanced protein shakes used in conjunction with Nutrisystem entrees to help improve satiety and to create an optimized nutrition profile; the introduction of a personalized “My Daily 3^TM” physical activity program; and increased personalization and flexibility through transition and maintenance plans that help consumers manage their weight on their own. 

To view additional Nutrisystem success stories like Crystal, and for more information on the Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ program and to order today, please visit www.nutrisystem.com/success4u or call 1-888-841-2572.

-          Simplified Meal Plan – The most important aspect of a diet is that it’s simple to use.  If you can’t use it, you can’t benefit from it. To follow our previous program, it was required that you supplement your Nutrisystem meals with 13-16 servings of additional grocery foods each day. These grocery foods were divided into 7 different categories over 5 pages which listed 277 different foods in 33 different serving sizes. We knew we had an opportunity to decrease the complexity of this aspect of our program which could lead to better adherence (and therefore Success!) and a better overall learning experience (vs. memorizing food lists).  Thus was borne our new meal plan which has consolidated these required supplemental grocery foods into 3 simple categories – Smart Carbs (nutrient dense carbohydrate containing foods), Power Fuels (healthy proteins and fats) and Unlimited Vegetables (no more counting out cherry tomatoes). You’ll see this new structure only requires 4-5 different grocery food additions each day (plus at least 4 servings of veggies) from 3 different categories in 5 standardized serving sizes. Best of all, it’s all on 1 quick reference page.

(Need another reason to be convinced this is a program you can use?  Try our new chef’s table foods – frozen entrees created by our Celebrity Chef’s Council that  quickly steam in the microwave– this is delicious eating here people, not diet food  – YUM!)

-          Optimized Nutrition Profile – An interesting fact, when you lose weight, you’re not just losing fat, you’re losing lean muscle mass too! Research has shown that following a low glycemic and high protein diet can help you keep more of that muscle during weight loss. The redesign of the meal plan, plus the inclusion of our daily protein shakes, has helped us boost up the amount of protein in the Success program to provide you this added benefit. Additionally, protein offers help in managing hunger. This protein shake is not a meal replacement (I like food; I wouldn’t want to drink my breakfast either). It’s basically a punched up glass of milk – delivering almost double the amount of protein as a glass of skim milk – designed to offer a convenient way for you to achieve healthy targets for protein and calcium intake.   

-          Focus on Fitness – It’s no secret, eating well is only half of the equation when it comes to long term weight control; we also have to move more. Easier said than done right? Exercising can seem time consuming, and more like a chore than fun. It was with these challenges in mind that we created My Daily 3 which is designed to make getting the 30 minutes of physical activity per day recommended by the experts easy and achievable. Just carve out three 10 minute increments each day to do something a little extra (i.e. walk to the supermarket, hike the stairs at work, take a bike ride around the block after dinner). Getting in the habit of being more physically active now, will not only improve your health and success while you’re losing weight, but will really be key to helping  you keep it off! 

-          A True Partnership for Lasting Success – Our program offers a learn-by-doing approach, ingraining healthy habits through daily practice. However, we realized we could do a better job in providing you support as you become more self-sufficient in applying these practices to your daily life and rely less on our prepared foods. Previously, you were either “on-program” or “off-program”.  With Nutrisystem Success you have access to flexible Transition and Maintenance Programs, which allow you decide how little or how much structure and support you need during each phase of your transformation towards the new you!

Has the Nutrisystem® program always been good? Absolutely! However, from your feedback and our investment in clinical research (5 new studies were accepted to US medical conferences last year and more are on the way) we’ve learned a few things about what we can do better to support our members in achieving their health and weight goals.  It’s this mission and this knowledge that drove the strategy of our new program, and I hope you’ll agree, there’s no better name for it than SUCCESS!

COMPANY LAUNCHES SUCCESS:  MOST COMPREHENSIVE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM IN THE 40 YEAR HISTORY OF NUTRISYSTEM 

FORT WASHINGTON, PA (December 23, 2011) – Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI), the leading home delivery weight loss program, announces today the unveiling of football legend and sports commentator, Terry Bradshaw, as the Company’s new marquee spokesperson for the launch of the new Men’s SUCCESS program – the Company’s most comprehensive weight loss program to date and its most substantial reformulation in years. To date, Bradshaw has lost 32 pounds on the Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ program and plans to continue shedding weight. His goals are to lose a total of 40 pounds and to help inspire millions to get healthy by losing weight with Nutrisystem in the New Year. Nutrisystem will feature Bradshaw individually, as well as with long time spokesman, Dan Marino, in a testimonial-style ad campaign as part of its 2012 diet season efforts aimed at the men’s market, where the Company currently leads the category.  
 

Terry Bradshaw Succeeds with Nutrisystem
Bradshaw, who played 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls, and led the Steelers to eight AFC Central championships. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, Bradshaw was known for calling his own plays throughout his football career. Off the field, Bradshaw’s expertise and infectious personality have landed the football great a successful career as a broadcast commentator, an actor in both movies and television, a New York Times best-selling author, as well as a sought after motivational speaker.  Bradshaw is currently the co-host of FOX NFL Sunday. 

“During my time as a professional football player and even after retirement, I stayed in great shape, but it wasn’t until all the injuries caught up with me and I couldn’t work out that the pounds started packing on,” says Bradshaw. “I found myself overweight and looking for the perfect plan to help me shed these packed pounds and get my health back, when I was inspired by Dan Marino’s and Coach Don Shula’s weight loss success on Nutrisystem and gave the program a try. Bottom line, Nutrisystem for Men is the go-to guy’s diet. It’s simple, has great tasting meals and didn’t leave me feeling hungry all the time. It works and that’s good enough for me in this game called real-life where the stakes are high and the prize is feeling lighter, and looking and feeling better.” 

“Terry Bradshaw is known as a tough competitor – someone who doesn’t let obstacles stand in his way,” says Joe Redling, Chairman and CEO of Nutrisystem. “With Nutrisystem he had a playbook to lose weight and get healthy without counting, tracking, weighing in or going to meetings. The results speak for themselves. Terry joins another football legend, Dan Marino, in talking directly and honestly with men about how to take weight off. We’re delighted to welcome Terry to the Nutrisystem family and know that he’ll be a leader in helping to motivate men around the country to take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle. “ 

SUCCESS™: The Most Comprehensive Nutrisystem® Program Ever

 On December 15^th, Nutrisystem announced the launch of SUCCESS, the Company’s most comprehensive weight loss program to date and its most substantial reformulation in years. Longtime Nutrisystem spokespeople Dan Marino and Marie Osmond join superstar Janet Jackson and football great Terry Bradshaw as the Company’s all-star Brand Ambassador line-up for the launch of Nutrisystem SUCCESS.

 The Nutrisystem SUCCESS approach is designed to help take the weight off and keep it off through frequent, portion-controlled, balanced nutrition and low Glycemic Index eating.  The SUCCESS program offers the Company’s largest ever assortment of signature artisanal fresh-frozen meals including new Chef’s Table^TM dinner entrees, developed by Nutrisystem’s Celebrity Chef Culinary Council using revolutionary advanced steamer technology; new chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee advanced protein shakes to help improve satiety and nutrition; the introduction of a personalized “My Daily 3^TM” physical activity program; and increased personalization and flexibility through transition and maintenance plans that help consumers manage their weight on their own. 

The SUCCESS program is built on the following four fundamental pillars:

 ·         Great Taste = Great Results – Fresh-frozen offerings will nearly double as the Company has worked with its esteemed Celebrity Chef Culinary Council to develop an exclusive line of Chef’s Table dinner entrees using a patented new microwaveable steamer bag technology. These signature dishes carry the name of the Chef who created the recipe. Presently, the Celebrity Chef Culinary Council includes: Kent Rathbun, Michael Solomonov, Mark Estee, Carmen Gonzalez and Tony Mantuano. 
  ·         It Works – The Nutrisystem reformulation involves advanced nutritional science to deliver a high level of satiety. Macro-nutrient reformulations optimize weight loss and help avoid pitfalls of typical low calorie diets such as hunger, cravings and eliminating entire food categories. The SUCCESS program’s simplified meal planner helps improve adherence and efficacy; those who adhere to the program can expect to lose between 1 –2 pounds per week.  Initial weight loss may be more. Importantly, clinically meaningful weight loss can take place in as little as a month, with reductions in the waistline and other markers of health. 
  ·         Flexibility and Maintenance – For the first time ever and as a direct result of customer feedback, Nutrisystem will offer a portfolio of flexible transition and maintenance plans including a la carte menu pricing for customers who want to personalize their programs from over 130 menu items.  Nutrisystem’s transition and weight loss maintenance plans were created to guide consumers through different phases of weight loss and maintenance.  These phases are now supported by an “At Home Tool Kit” that includes a Nutrisystem Meal Measure, a Healthy Steps™ Portion Control Serving Set, as well as a low Glycemic Index cookbook, “The Low GI Cookbook—Nutrisystem Edition.” With SUCCESS transition and maintenance plans, customers are now able to create a truly customizable program, combining their own meals with perfectly proportioned Nutrisystem meals delivered right to their door, ready in minutes with no counting points, weighing portions or attending meetings.   
 ·         Exercise Counts – Nutrisystem is also introducing “My Daily 3,” comprised of three 10-minute intervals of physical activity or 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise. Customers can take a short assessment quiz on www.nutrisystem.com and receive a personalized two-week sample “My Daily 3” program to get started.  The Nutrisystem website offers other valuable information to personalize fitness goals.  

To join Terry Bradshaw on the Nutrisystem SUCCESS program today, visit www.nutrisystem.com/success4u or call 1-888-841-2572.

 For photos of Terry as well as other Nutrisystem materials please go to: http://newsinfusion.com/events/nutrisystem

 To view the 2012 Men’s SUCCESS 7-day Sample Menu, please visit: http://www.nutrisystem.com/pdf/Sample_7DayMenu_MensPDF.pdf

 About Nutrisystem, Inc.

 Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is the number one home delivery weight-loss company. Nutrisystem^® products are sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, with convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the Nutrisystem^® D^® program, specifically designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes. The Nutrisystem^® program is based on 40 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offers a variety of great tasting, satisfying, good carbohydrate meals that are designed to be heart healthy. The program was named the “Least Expensive Home Delivery Program” by CBS Money Watch in January 2011. The program has no membership fees and provides weight management support and counseling by trained weight-loss coaches and online and mobile weight management tools free of charge. Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes™, as well as to help in increasing awareness of the correlation between weight loss and improvements in diabetes control. For more information or to become a customer, visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-435-4074. For the healthcare professional, please visit http://www.nutrisystem.com/hcp . Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter @nutrisystem and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nutrisystem.

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